Cinnamon Buns

Quick Cinnamon Buns with Buttermilk Icing
(Americas Test Kitchen Recipe)

**Melted butter is used in the filling and the dough and to grease the pan. Melt 8 Tbsp of butter ahead of time to make it easier.
Just measure out of the full amount.**


1 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling:

• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 C granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted and cooled

Dough:

• 2 1/2cups unbleached all-purpose flour (plus more for dusting work surface)
• 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 1-1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1-1/4 cups low fat buttermilk
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Glaze:

2 tablespoons cream cheese
2 tablespoons low fat buttermilk
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar


Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 425 degrees. Brush a 9-inch square cake pan with one tablespoon butter.

1. Filling: Combine the brown sugar,  granulated sugar, cinnamon, cloves and salt in a small bowl. Add one tablespoon melted butter and stir with a fork or fingers until the mixture resembles wet sand. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add 3 tablespoons of the melted butter and buttermilk to the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until the liquid is absorbed (the dough will be sticky and look shaggy), about 30 seconds. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Knead, lightly dusting more flour as necessary, until just smooth and no longer shaggy, about 30 seconds.
3. Lightly dust the surface again. Pat the dough into a small rectangle, then roll into a 12-inch x 9-inch rectangle, dusting more flour sparingly if necessary so the dough doesn't stick to the rolling pin. Brush the dough with 1 tablespoon of melted butter. Sprinkle the dough evenly with the brown sugar filling, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Using your hand, press the filling firmly into the dough. Starting at the long side, roll the dough, pressing lightly, to form a tight log. (If the dough sticks to the surface, use a sharp knife or dough scraper to release it.) Pinch the seam to seal. Roll the log seam-side down and, using a serrated knife, cut it evenly into 9 pieces. Turn the pieces over on their flat sides, and slightly flatten each piece with your hand to seal the open edges and keep the filling in place. Place the rolls in prepared pan and brush with remaining tablespoon of butter. Bake until the edges are golden brown, 20-25 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, make the glaze. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cream cheese and buttermilk until thick and smooth (the mixture will look like cottage cheese at first). Sift in confectioners' sugar and whisk until smooth glaze forms.
5. Let cool 5 minutes, slide buns onto a plate.
6. Drizzle the glaze evenly over the buns. 

Baked French Toast with Blueberries and Cream

This baked french toast is perfect for a slow morning

You can assemble it the night before and bake it in the morning.

The house will smell amazing as it bakes.

Baked French Toast with Blueberries and Cream

(wholefoods.com)

1 (12 ounce) day-old baguette, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (I used marble rye)

1 1/2 - 2 cups blueberries, divided 

12 ounces (about 1 1/3 bricks) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar, honey, or maple syrup

8 eggs

1 lemon, zested (optional)

1 cup sour cream or yogurt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2/3 cup milk

Maple syrup, for topping

Place bread cubes in a greased 9- x 13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with blueberries, reserving a few for garnish. 

In a mixing bowl, beat cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs, lemon zest, sour cream, vanilla and cinnamon. Gradually add milk until blended. 

Pour over bread. 

(If you are making this the night before, cover and chill overnight or up to 24 hours. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking.)

Cover with foil and bake at 350ºF about 30 minutes. Uncover and bake about 25 minutes longer, or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Sprinkle with reserved blueberries. Let stand 5 minutes. Serve with maple syrup, if desired.

Hot Chocolate with Marshmallows

When Clara was baby, Jimmy and I used to made hot chocolate with melted down Lindt Chili Chocolate bars and cream.

(That was totally, sickeningly, decadent and we don't really do that any more.)


Really, hot chocolate is not something I normally enjoy.

In general, I'm more of a coffee person.

(And now that I've talked you out of trying this...)

With the right person, just the right chilly night and the right book...I was persuaded to make a batch of mix for hot chocolate.

This hot chocolate mix is so simple and, I think, better than what you would find in a paper package or tin.

I found this recipe on Martha's site and added a couple handfuls of micro marshmallows.

Hot Chocolate with Marshmallows
(marthastewart.com)

3 1/2 C unsweetened cocoa
2 1/4 C sugar
1 Tbsp salt
some micro marshmallows (I buy these an Amish bulk food store called E&S in Indiana)
milk for serving

In a large bowl, stir together cocoa, sugar, and salt.  (I added my marshmallows here too.)
Store in a large mason jar or hinge top canning jar.

When you're ready for a cup, heat 1 cup milk in a small sauce pan (or in the microwave, if you have one) and stir in 1 Tbsp mix when the milk is steamy.

Key Lime Yogurt

I've been noticing tons of Greek Yogurt in the grocery stores lately.

When I was first married, I used to buy regular, plain yogurt, strain it through cheese cloth for a day to get the liquid out and then add a bit of sugar and some lime juice and zest. (Serve that on some grilled peach halves, it's amazing.)

I stopped doing that pretty soon after I started because it took up precious space in my fridge and took way too long for me.

Greek Yogurt is thick on its own and that's what I love about it.

I've started making my Key Lime Yogurt again since discovering Greek Yogurt.

It is so good as a dip for fruit, sprinkled with granola or on its own.

Here's how I do it.

Key Lime Yogurt
*I tell you to use sugar here but I've also done it sugar free and drizzled individual servings with a bit of honey. I love it that way too.

1 tub Greek Style, Plain yogurt (500g)
2-3 Tbsp sugar (*optional)
zest of a lime (about 1 Tbsp)
1-2 Tbsp lime juice

Open the yogurt container and mix all ingredients together in the tub.

Buttermilk Citrus Cake with Raspberries

I have posted a variation of this cake before.

But it's just so good, I find myself coming back to it again and again.

I love that there are so many things that you can do with a basic buttermilk cake.

In the past, I have topped it with apricots, peaches, blueberries and rhubarb.

Today I'm trying raspberries with lemon and lime zest sprinkled with turbinado sugar.

This cake takes almost no time to prepare and bake.

Would be perfect with a little whipped cream or frozen yogurt.

Buttermilk Citrus Cake with Raspberries
(Super Natural Food Everyday by Heidi Swanson)

2 1/2 C all purpose flour or whole wheat pastry flour (I used 1 1/2C All Purpose and 1C Spelt because I ran out of WWPF)
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 C fine white sugar
pinch salt
1 1/2 C buttermilk
2 eggs
1/2 C butter, melted and cooled
1 lemon and 1 lime zested
1 C frozen raspberries
2 Tbsp course sugar (Turbinado)

Preheat oven to 400*.
Butter a 9 1/2 x 11 inch baking dish or 11 inch quiche dish.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.
In small bowl or glass measuring cup, whisk together buttermilk, cooled butter, eggs and zest.
Gently combine wet ingredients into dry.

Pour batter into prepared pan spread to the edges.
Top with raspberries and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake 20-25 minutes.  Be careful not to over-bake it.
*Start checking the centre of the cake with a toothpick at around 20 minutes to ensure it doesn't overcook.

Rich Chocolate Brownies with a Surprise

These are the best brownies I have ever had!

I think everyone has their own description of a perfect brownie.

Still, I think these brownies would make anyone happy.

Ok, confession...I have a new cookbook.

It's such a good one, too!

One of my favourite Canadian cooks, Julie Van Rosendaal has just put out a new book called, Spilling the Beans.

These brownies were in the dessert section.

Yep, they're black bean brownies.

You won't know those beans are even in there!

Truly, you wont.

Black Bean Brownies

(Spilling the Beans by Julie Van Rosendaal)

1 C rinsed and drained black beans

1/2 C butter

2 oz good dark chocolate

1/3 C flour

pinch of salt

2 large eggs

3/4 C sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2/3 C chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350*.

Spread the rinsed beans on a paper towel and blot dry. Reserve on the towel until you need them.

In a double boiler (or in the microwave) melt the chocolate and butter together. Don't burn it.

Whisk to combine and cool a few minutes.

In a medium bowl, whisk flour and salt together. Set aside.

Place beans and cooled chocolate mixture in a food processor, process until very smooth. Scraping down the bowl a few times.

Add the eggs, sugar and vanilla. Process again.

Fold gently into the flour mixture, leaving streaks of flour still visible.

Add chocolate chips and fold again.

Pour batter into an 8 inch square pan that has been greased.

Bake 25-28 minutes.

Cool and cut.

Store in the fridge to maintain the dense texture and leave out for softer brownies.

Apricot-Rye Crumble Bars

I love the cookbook Good to the Grain by Kim Boyce.

The cornflour crust tarts in this book, that I like to call summertime peach tarts, are some of my favourite things to eat.

This book really taught me how to bake with and appreicate the flavour of lots of different types of flours.

You are seriously limiting the flavour in your baking if you are only using all purpose white or whole wheat.

That said, we are going crazy over these bars.

We all love apricots but what really makes these special is the rich, buttery shortbread crust.

Now I'm sure you could use any flour in these but I would highly recommend making them exactly how Kim suggests.

Use rye flour.

My kids loved these.

You are going to want eat these for breakfast, snack and dessert.

Apricot Rye Crumble Bars

(Good to the Grain: Baking with Whole-Grain Flours by Kim Boyce)

For the crust:

1/2 cup rye flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 tsp kosher salt

4 oz (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

1 tsp vanilla extract

For the crumble topping:

1 cup oats

3 Tbsp dark brown sugar

1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp rye flour or other whole-grain flour

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

3 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp kosher salt

3 oz (6 Tbsp) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

For the filling

1 1/2 cups apricot jam

Preheat oven to 275*. Butter the sides and bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.

To make the crust, whisk together the flours, brown sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add the melted butter and vanilla and stir until thoroughly combined. Using your hands, press the dough evenly into the bottom of the buttered pan. Put the pan in the freezer for 30 minutes while you make the topping.

Add all of the crumble ingredients except the melted butter to a bowl and mix. Add the melted butter and stir with your hands, squeezing the dough as you mix to create small crumbly bits. Set aside.

Bake the frozen crust until golden and firm when touched, 50 to 55 minutes. Remove from the oven and increase the temperature to 350 degrees.

Spread the jam, fruit butter, or compote of your choice over the crust and top with the crumble, evenly sprinkling it over the surface. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until golden brown, rotating the pan halfway through for even baking.

When the pan is cool enough to handle but still warm, run a sharp knife around the edge of the crumble bars to loosen any fruit that may have stuck to the pan while baking and remove the ring. Once cool, cut into wedges.

Blueberry Crumb Bars

You'll want to make these for a large group of people.

Otherwise you will be tempted to eat the whole tray.

A lemony shortbread crust with jammy blueberry filling.

These will not take you long to make.

In fact, I made a batch in the time it took Clara to read Nate the Great aloud.

Blueberry Crumb Bars

From Smittenkitchen.com

About 36 squares

1 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup cold unsalted butter (2 sticks or 8 ounces)

1 egg

1/4 teaspoon salt

Zest and juice of one lemon

4 cups fresh blueberries

1/2 cup white sugar

4 teaspoons cornstarch

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 9×13 inch pan.

2. In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup sugar, 3 cups flour, and baking powder. Mix in salt and lemon zest. Use a fork or pastry cutter to blend in the butter and egg. Dough will be crumbly. Pat half of dough into the prepared pan.

3. In another bowl, stir together the sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice. Gently mix in the blueberries. Sprinkle the blueberry mixture evenly over the crust. Crumble remaining dough over the berry layer.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until top is slightly brown. (This took an extra 10 to 15 minutes in my oven.) Cool completely before cutting into squares.

Apple Cake with Cream and Caramel Sauce

(Thanks for the photos Lau Merrick)

One of the most popular cakes on the Martha Stewart website is this delightfully easy and perfectly tasty Apple Cinnamon Cake.

I can't seem to stop making this cake.

I made it twice this week, shared it with a ton of people and everyone loved it.

My Gramma Dorothy is the queen of all things food. She loves to read about food, cook it and eat it.

She loves apple cake, so I made this one especially for her.

Though I'm sure Martha's recipe would have been great, I changed it a little.

The original recipe called for 3 cups of flour, 1 1/3 cups oil, 2 cups sugar... and that seemed a little intense to me.

I subbed in 1 1/2 cups spelt flour, 2/3 cup apple sauce in place of all the oil and reduced the sugar by 1/2 cup. It was lovely.

If you top the cake with a little maple-vanilla infused whipped cream and the caramel drizzle, I'm pretty sure it will blow your mind.

Apple Cake with Cream and Caramel Sauce

(adapted from Martastewart.com)

2/3 C oil

2/3 C applesauce

1 1/2 C all purpose flour

1 1/2 C spelt flour

1 Tbsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking soda

1tsp salt

1 1/2 C sugar

3 large eggs

3-4 Granny Smith apples, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces (about 3-4Cups)

1/2 C pecans or walnuts (optional)

1 tsp vanilla

Grease a large bundt pan and preheat oven to 350*.

Sift together flours, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

Beat together oil, applesauce, sugar and eggs until bright yellow.

Add dry ingredients to wet and stir just until combined.

Add apples and nuts, fold in.

Stir in vanilla.

Pour into bundt pan and cook 60-70 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.

Cool the cake and then invert on a plate. Serve drizzled with sauce.

*I served this once with ice cream and once with Maple cream.

*For the maple cream I poured a medium container of heavy cream into a bowl. Mix until almost firm, add 2 Tbsp of Maple syrup and 1 tsp vanilla. Whisk again until firm.

Caramel Sauce

1 cup light-brown sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

1/4 cup evaporated milk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

Combine ingredients in a small saucepan over medium

Quinoa Carrot Cake Muffins

For Christmas, I was given a new cookbook called Quinoa, The Everyday Superfood.

(I am always in the market for a new cookbook.)

A dear friend, who knows I love quinoa, got me this little number.

The only thing I have ever put quinoa in is a pilaf or salad.

This book has you coating chicken with it, eating it for breakfast and even baking with it.

I love the taste of baking with a variety of flours.

Spelt is my old standby. I do everything with spelt. It's often in cookies and cakes and always in my pizza dough.

These carrot cake muffins get their rich nutty flavour by using only quinoa flour.

I wasn't sure if I would like baking with quinoa flour. It seemed strange.

I bought (at the Bulk Barn) only what I needed for this recipe.

If buying 'weird-ish' ingredients scares you, do the same. Just buy a couple scoops of it to start.

My kids love these.

Of course, I didn't say, "Hey kids, come get a load of these ultra weird, low fat, quinoa muffins..." I called them "Carrot Cake", served them as dessert and they totally went for it.

I iced them with the same icing I used for the Red Velvet cupcakes and they're perfect together.

Quinoa Carrot Cake Muffins

From: Quinoa The Everyday Superfood

1 1/3 C quinoa flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground clove

2/3 C golden raisins (I did 1/3 C raisins and 1/3 C pecans)

2 large eggs

2/3 C plain or vanilla yogurt

1/2 C packed brown sugar

2 1/4 C grated carrot

Preheat the oven to 350*, line 12 muffin cups with liners or a coating of non-stick spray.In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, soda, salt, cinnamon, and clove.

Whisk until well blended. Mix in the raisins and pecans (if using) and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, yogurt, sugar and carrot.

Using a spatula gently mix dry into wet and stir just until combined.

Scoop in to muffin cups and bake for 20-22 minutes or until tester stick comes out clean.

When cooled, top with cream cheese frosting.

Joy's Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 C butter, at room temperature

1 package of cream cheese, room temperature

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 Tbsp Milk

3 C sifted icing sugar

Whisk all ingredients together until smooth.

Red Velvet for Christmas

Red Velvet Cakes and cupcakes made a bit of a comeback a couple years ago.

But somehow, to me, it has to be eaten at Christmas!

These are perfect. I have tried a few from bakeries and none compare to these.

Joy the Baker has a knack for getting baking just right. These are from her.

So delightfully festive...so celebratory...so right for a certain person's birthday 'cake' perhaps...

Red Velvet Cupcakes

(Joy the Baker)

Click here for the recipe.

Joy does such a good job of explaining the method.

Un-Brownies

So here you have some chocolaty, fudgy and not too fatty squares of something that is not a brownie.

I daren't call these brownies.

I served these to Jim under the title of Brownie...

"They're good." he said, "But they're not brownies!"

That said, I find these extremely hard to keep out of.

They're not too rich, not sickeningly sweet and a good base for a healthy scoop of vanilla ice cream if you're in the mood for that.

I found this recipe on the silver flap of my Astro Original Yogurt container.

Give it a go.

The Un-Brownie
(Astro Original Yogurt Recipe)

1/2 C melted chocolate chips

1 C Plain yogurt

1/2 C sugar

3/4 C flour

1/2 C cocoa powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 C milk (soy or coconut milk work too)

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Melt chocolate over a double boiler or in the microwave. Mix chocolate with yogurt and sugar. Sift in flour, cocoa and baking soda. Just until combined. Add milk. Stir

3. Pour into a greased 8 or 9 inch square baking pan.

4. Cook 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

5. Cook completely and cut into squares.

Espresso-Chocolate Chip Shortbread

Christmas is coming...really, it's almost here.

We haven't yet begun decorating or planning but here is one thing I am doing.

I am am making these cookies.

Here's the deal, you can make the batter, seal it in a ziplock bag (all rolled out and ready), freeze it and then cut off as many lovely little squares as you need to bake.

I have a serious weakness for shortbread.

I grew up eating my Dad's shortbread. His recipe originally came from a Scottish lady that used to live next door.

Perfect rounds of his shortbread was and is always in little tins around my Mum and Dad's house at Christmas time.

This recipe is rich and espresso-y with the occasional melt of chocolate.

They're perfect! They get RAVE reviews!

And since this bag is going in the freezer to be baked at a later date, you'll have to stay posted to see it finished product...or jump over to Smitten Kitchen to see how they turn out.

Espresso-Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

(Discovered at Smittenkitchen.com)

Makes 42 cookies

1 tablespoon instant espresso powder

1 tablespoon boiling water

½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup mini chocolate chips

1. Dissolve the espresso in the boiling water, and set aside to cool.

2. Working with a stand mixer, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter and confectioners’ sugar together on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until the mixture is very smooth.

Beat in the vanilla and espresso, then reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour, mixing only until it disappears into the dough. Don’t work the dough much once the flour is incorporated. Fold in the chopped chocolate with a sturdy rubber spatula.

3. Using the spatula, transfer the soft, sticky dough to a gallon-size zipper-lock plastic bag. Put the bag on a flat surface, leaving the top open, and roll the dough into a 9 x 10 1/2 inch rectangle that’s 1/4 inch thick. As you roll, turn the bag occasionally and lift the plastic from the dough so it doesn’t cause creases. When you get the right size and thickness, seal the bag, pressing out as much air as possible, and refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours, or for up to 2 days.

4. Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.

5. Put the plastic bag on a cutting board and slit it open. Turn the firm dough out onto the board (discard the bag) and, using a ruler as a guide and a sharp knife, cut the dough into 1 1/2-inch squares. Transfer the squares to the baking sheets and carefully prick each one twice with a fork, gently pushing the tines through the cookies until they hit the sheet.

6. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back at the midway point. The shortbreads will be very pale–they shouldn’t take on much color. Transfer the cookies to a rack.

Summertime Peach Tarts

In the summer, I like to cook simple, quick meals that don't involve a lot of oven-on time. That said, I seem to make a lot more desserts.

Summer's wild blueberries, raspberry bushes discovered walks, PYO strawberry farms, Ontario peaches and plums make it impossible to resist making dessert.

Early summer is berry season. We generally get carried away when we pick strawberries and come home with about 4 more baskets of berries than we needed.

There are plenty of ways to solve an over-abundance of strawberries:

Strawberry shorcake cookies.

Strawberries with cinnamon dumplings.

Strawberry milkshakes.

Jam.

But now it's peach time. Few things taste quite so quintessentially summertime as peach pie.

These peach tarts are perfect.

A bright yellow dough of cornflour, cornmeal, butter and egg yolks is rustically formed around a sloppy, sweet mix of ripe peaches and cinnamon.

Eat this one alone or with some whipped cream on top.

PS- Now would be a perfect time to make Oven Roasted Peach-Tomato Pasta... Just incase you needed dinner inspiration.

Rustic Peach Tarts

(adapted from Good to the Grain cookbook)

1 Cup corn flour

1 Cup All purpose flour

1/2 Cup fine cornmeal

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon Kosher or coarse salt

1 stick (4 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream

2 egg yolks

6 Peaches, peeled and sliced

2 Tbsp honey

2 Tbps flour

1/4 tsp cinnamon

Whisk the dry ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment,

add the butter and turn the mixture speed to low

and mix to break up the butter. Increase the speed to medium and mix until the butter is as coarse as cornmeal.

Add the heavy cream and egg yolks and mix until combined. The dough will look crumbly but when pinched between your fingers, it will come together.

Divide dough roughly into 8 pieces. Roll out into 5 inch thinnish slabs on a lighly floured board.

In a med bowl, combine peaches, honey, cinnamon and flour.

Add about 1/3 C peaches to the centre of each slab.

Fold the edge of the dough toward the peaches and up, to create a ruffled edge; continue around the perimeter, letting the ruffles be their bad irregular selves. Slide a bench scraper or spatula under the tart and transfer it to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Continue with the remaining dough.

Freeze the tarts on their tray for at least 1 hour to firm them up before baking.

Bake the tarts: Preheat over to 375°F. Bake tarts, still frozen,

for about 35 minutes or until the edges of the tarts are brown and the peach is bubbling and thick.

Serve warm or at room temperature. The tarts keep in an airtight container.

Honey Cake with Rhuby Soda

My sweet friend brought me a very special surprise.

A special surprise she knew I would love...and an armful of it.

Enough to make soda, a cake, and a crisp!

Thank you, my friend.

I love to bake with honey to cut back on the amount of sugar most recipes call for.

Honey is easily masked by the other flavours in baking but this cake is all about the honey and its warm, fragrant sweetness.

Nestled down inside the cake is some rhubarb...just because I can.

Honey Cake with Nestled Rhubarb

(adapted from Moosewood Farm Fresh Meals)

1/2 C softened butter

1/2 C honey

1/2 C sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 C flour

1 Tbsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 C milk

2 1/2 C chopped rhubarb

Preheat oven to 350*. Butter a 7 x 11 baking dish.

Cream butter, honey and sugar together until light. Add eggs one at a time, beating well.

In a separate bowl mix together flour, baking powder and salt.

Combine milk and vanilla in a small bowl.

Alternate adding flour mixutre and milk to butter mixture, beating well after each addition.

Spread 2/3 of the batter over the bottom of the dish. Top with all of the rhubarb. Top gently with the rest of the batter, spreading to the edges.

Sprinkle with 1-2 tsp cinnamon sugar if you like.

Bake 35-40 mins or until golden and cooked through.

*Raspberries or strawberries would be a good substitute for the rhubarb.

Top with vanilla yogurt, whipped cream or ice cream.

Rhuby Soda

(culinate.com)

1 1/2 C chopped rhubarb

1 C sugar

1 1/2 C water

Sparkling water

ice

In a large saucepan, combine rhubarb, sugar and water. Boil and then turn down to a simmer for 15-20 mins or until the syrup is bright pink.

Turn off the heat, cool and pour into a large mason jar.

To make each soda, measure ¼ cup rhubarb syrup into a glass.

Add enough sparkling water to fill the glass ⅔ full. Stir to mix, then add ice.

Or make Soulemama's Ruby Junes.

Some Solitary Cooking and a Rhubarb Pie

Three weeks of wonderful traveling and visiting made me thoroughly enjoy my slow Monday morning of quiet pie making.

Jibs is napping, Clara and Jimmy are out exploring the river for wildflowers and bugs, and I'm in the kitchen. Everyone is having a happy day indeed.

When I returned to my lovely little rhubarb crop this weekend I was pleased to discover a healthy bunch ready for picking.

Strawberry-rhubarb has to be one of my favourite fruit combos.

It literally took me an hour to decide what to do with my 8 precious cups of the sweet red gems.

Since its a holiday and my fridge is bare from our weeks of being away, my choices were somewhat limited.

I was missing key ingredients necessary for:

Rhubarb Soda and Rhubarb Jam.

These looked inviting as well...tartlets and crisp.

In the end I settled on a simple Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie with Crumble from my good old Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie with Crumble

(adapted from Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook)

1 recipe Single Crust Pie

1 recipe Crumb Topping (below)

3/4 C sugar

1/3 C flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon

3 Cups fresh chopped rhubarb

3 Cups fresh quartered strawberries

Prepare and roll out pastry. Line a 9-inch pie plate with pastry and trim to fit the plate. Crimp edges if desired. Prepare crumb topping. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together sugar flour and cinnamon, add fruit and gently toss.

Transfer fruit to pastry lined pie plate.

Sprinkle with crumb topping.

Bake in a 375* oven for 45 mins.

Cool and eat with ice cream.

Crumble Topping

1/3C Brown Sugar

1/2 C flour

3 Tbsp cold butter

healthy pinch fresh nutmeg (optional)

Stir together sugar, nutmeg and flour, cut in cold butter until mixture resembles a crumb.

Breton Apple Pie

Our family is one full of pie lovers. My mum and gramma are pie makers. Pie for breakfast is quite a common thing...if there happen to be leftovers.

My grandpa would quite often, after supper, tell my gramma he wanted a piece of pie and she would whip one up in an hour.

I cannot count the number of pie varieties I have tried on account of my mum and gramma.

All that said, I don't fancy myself a pie maker. I have made my share of pies in different forms, sweet and savory. I'm not a master by any means.

"So Jess how's your pastry success been lately?" My gramma asked me today, which made me smile. Mostly because I know it makes her happy that I love to cook, like she loves to cook.

Honestly though, my pastry is pretty hit and miss.

I'm quite sure all cooks learn a lot by trial and error.

Gramma's first pie was a pumpkin, she had never made a pie before and thought she'd be a good (new) wife and make her husband a pie. She made her crust, dumped a can of pumpkin into it, smoothed it out and baked it. She proudly served it to my grandpa but, instead of gratitude, was met with gags and sputters.

Grandpa-"What did you put in this?"

Grandma-"Nothing just the pumpkin!"

Now she knows you have to add sugar, spices, cream and other such important ingredients.

Gramma has since totally redeemed herself.

Last night, after dinner, I thought I'd make an apple pie for Jimmy. This pie had caught my eye as a quick one to make during the week.

Breton Apple Pie is quick, and really won't feel like pie making, in the laborious, fiddly kind of way it can.

The crust is somewhere between a shortcrust and a shortbread cookie. It's easy to work with and shortcomings can easily be patched.

The apples are partially cooked before hand on top of the stove with applesauce, lemon and cinnamon. They will become soft and shiny and rich smelling.

Everyone loves this pie. I will be making this one over and over. Maybe it will become a favourite in your house too.

Breton Apple Pie

Originally in by Nick Malgieri and also in The Washington Post, September 17, 2008

Apple

2Tbsp unsalted butter

2 1/2 lbs apples, peeled, cored and sliced (6-8 apples)

1/4 C apple sauce

1/4 C sugar

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Dough

1C unsalted butter, room temp

1tsp vanilla

1C sugar

4 large egg yolks (1 of the egg whites beaten with a pinch of salt for a wash)

2 3/4 C flour

Butter a deep 9 inch pie plate and set aside. Place oven rack at the lowest setting and preheat oven to 350*.

In a large saucepan, melt 2 Tbsp butter in a large saucepan, add apples, applesauce, sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon. Cook, covered about 10 minutes or until swimming in liquid. Uncover and cook another 10 minutes.

Combine the butter, sugar and vanilla extract in the bowl of a mixer.

Beat at medium speed for 5 minutes.

Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating until smooth after each addition.

Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a large rubber spatula to incorporate the flour.

Place half of the dough in the bottom of the prepared pan.

Use your fingertips to press the dough evenly over the bottom of the pan and about 1 inch up the sides.

Spread the filling over the dough.

Roll out remaining dough on a board with lots of flour until the circle is the same size as the pie plate. Top the pie with the dough and press down around the outside to seal.

Brush the top of the pie with the egg wash. Use the tines of a fork to trace a lattice pattern on the top.

Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until the dough is nicely colored and baked through.

Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes.

Slice and serve with ice cream, cheese or by itself.

Ideal Easter Cookies

We spent a long time with my Gramma today making cookies for Easter. She has some fantastic old spring chicken and bunny cutters. What I failed to do, even though I took my camera, was take a single solitary photo of us together...sad.

We used Martha's "Ideal Sugar Cookie" recipe. I love Martha's Ideal Sugar Cookies. I especially love that they're called "ideal"...that makes me laugh.

That said, these cookies are ridiculously easy to make, yield a dough that is perfect to roll out and bake into a beautiful, light and tasty cookie.

We inherited a large amount of cookie decorating supplies from a sweet friend the other day, which proved quite inspriational to the decorating of our cookies. And, of course, Clara made her signature violet and tiffany blue icing for them.

After the icing hardens, they can be placed in a container in the freezer so they stay fresh until the weekend comes.

The only thing to do now is try and stay out of them.

Ideal Sugar Cookies

(Martha Stewart)

2 cups flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 cup sugar

1 large egg, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons brandy (or milk)

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl; set aside.

Cream together butter and sugar; mix until light and fluffy.

Add egg, brandy, and vanilla; mix until well combined. Add reserved flour mixture.

Mix until just combined.

Transfer dough to a work surface. Shape into 2 discs, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to 1/8-inch thickness.

Cut into desired shapes, and transfer to prepared baking sheets, leaving an inch in between.

Leftover dough can be rolled and cut once more.

If the dough or the cut outs are getting soft refrigerate them again before cooking.

Bake until lightly golden, about 10 minutes; do not allow to brown. Transfer to wire racks to cool.

Ice and Decorate.

Clara's Signature Icing

2C sifted icing sugar

2-4 Tbsp warm water or juice

blue, red and green food colouring

Mix sugar and water together in a med size bowl.

Divide icing into 2 smaller bowls.

To the first bowl add 1 drop of blue and one drop of red. Stir well.

To the second bowl add 1 drop of green and ond drop of blue. Stir well.

Shove the icing into 2 separate, small ziplock bags, cut off a small corner and pipe onto cookies.